Saint Agnes Kouying Tsao Catholic Church
St. Louis Teenage Group
Coins for Life Reflection #1 by Cherry Vong & Stephanie Vong
a) Your feelings on supporting this pro-life initiative?
I feel that abortion is a very serious issue. I think that the world is not serious about this situation and how mothers are not appreciating the little miracle inside their wombs. We must raise awareness and spread the word about life because it is not fair for the unborn children. By doing this, we can give them a chance to experience what it is like to live on the earth that God created. God created the world so people can live and love each other, however by aborting children we are going against God’s will. I don’t think that abortion should be a choice of the mother. I believe that a mother has no right in making the decision of killing the child before it is even born. Every child deserves to live and by aborting one, you are taking away all of their experiences, chances, ability to make friends, to love, be loved, and all the good things the world has to offer.b) Your ideas on how to support the pro-life cause?
We can show our support to pro-life initiatives in many ways. We can volunteer because any amount of our time can save precious lives. We can contact a local pro-life pregnancy center to find out ways to help women turn away from abortion. We can also support programs that work with women who have been physically and emotionally wounded by abortion. Sharing our knowledge with others who may not fully understand the value of human life may change the perspective of a mother’s decision. Advocate and support local pro-life committees. Work to change laws and touch hearts. Donating can make a big difference in the budgets of local pro-life organizations. Most of all, pray. Prayer is the most powerful source that can support all pro-life activities. You should not only pray by yourself but with a group as well. The more people you spread this to the stronger the support and the more people will be aware of the issue.
c) How does society view human life?
People argue that a fetus isn't a person and that it's not really alive. But according to whom? About a hundred years ago, black American slaves weren't considered to be people. If you killed your own slave, no big deal, you just won’t be able to run your farm as well. If you killed somebody else's slave, no big deal, just give him the couple hundred bucks that the slave was "worth" and we'll call it even. This may sound absurd, but it has happened. Of course, today, we know that black people are people, so we think that reasoning is pretty dumb. If we think this is crazy, then how is that different from somebody saying that a fetus isn't a person? When exactly does a fetus become human? After he passes through the birth canal? Or is it sometime later, like when he learns to talk, or brush his teeth, or go to the potty? How can you determine exactly when this little being suddenly qualifies as a "person"? If a baby is born at 28 weeks early and his eye sockets aren't even formed yet, is he less of a person because he wasn't carried to term? Should we give up on him, not even try to save his life, just because he's not yet fully developed? If a fetus isn't a person until he is actually born, why are late-term abortions illegal everywhere? Who decided that it was okay to abort a little baby fetus, but not an older one? Where is the reasoning? We should all show our support for a baby’s right to live. It is a life and it has all the rights of a man or a woman. The baby is innocent and he deserves to live, to mature, and grow in a healthy environment. The mother has no right to end its life. They cannot choose for the baby. It is the child’s choice, and the child’s alone. No one else can choose for them, only to provide guidance, but you can never decide for them. It is their life not the parents. As you can decide what you want for yourself, the child should be given the right to choose what they think is best for themselves. And there is no excuse that they are too young to decide. You should respect their choice and not violate them. The fetus is a life, not an object.
d) What leads you to help out distributing Boxes for Coins?
I help distribute boxes for coins because I want to spread the awareness of abortion to other people. I want our community to know that not only the mother’s decision of aborting the child is wrong, but us knowing about the problem and not doing anything about it is an even more sinful act. I think that it is good to spread awareness of this situation and try to stop the act. Life on earth is a special miracle and I think that by spending 15 minutes of distributing these boxes, many babies are saved from abortion. 15 minutes may seem very little time to us, but on a bigger scale, it gives more babies opportunities to experience the wonderful gift of life God gave. I think it is great that St. Louis Teenager Group is volunteering with handing out the boxes. Not only does it spread awareness but the people of the parish will see that even teens are contributing their time to help make a change. We should spread the message of life, as it should be cherished by each one of us.
Coins for Life Reflection #2 by Katie Ng
I decided to help hand out boxes for Coins for Life to fellow parishioners to help support the pro- life movement, as I think every human life is special and deserves a chance. I felt as though it was my duty as a Catholic to support this, as God gave us all a life to live, and no one should ever be denied of it. During this Lenten Season, I hope my fellow parishioners are able to give up some spare change to support this cause, to practice almsgiving and to express our gratitude for all that God has given us.
Coins for Life Reflection #3 by Gladys Tung
On February 17th, I was helping out in the church lobby to distribute donation boxes. These boxes are for people to collect and donate money towards Coins of Life.
In St. Louis Teenagers Group's meeting, Uncle Andrei offered everyone this opportunity to help out in the church and I took this opportunity.
I thought that this would be a great thing to do, helping out at church, especially during the Lenten season. Also, the donation is for good cause: pro-life!
Our faith supports life no matter what the situation is, and in doing this activity I am promoting life and spreading the message of the church not only to the parishioners, but also those that have not yet been introduced into the faith. I felt very blessed to be a member of the church and contribute to our Catholic faith. I hope in the future we will have more opportunities like this to offer our energy and passion to the church and God!
